by Arwen Jayne
As calmly as possible she walked the twenty feet to the water’s edge and found a deeper hole to submerge the bulk of her body in. She found a sloping rock ledge to lean against. If she lost consciousness maybe she wouldn’t drown. The water was bloody cold but hypothermia was the least of her problems right now, a little bit of hypothermia might actually help slow the neurotoxins. True she was no doctor but her training in genetics meant that she’d covered many of the same subjects at university. She knew her odds weren’t good but she also knew there were miraculous stories. She’d pin her hopes on the later. She just had to hope that she didn’t stop breathing, which was on the cards.
She was starting to feel localized tingling and numbness at the bite site and in her neck. How the hell were those two related. She wiped the sweat away that was beading on her brow. Breathing was getting increasingly difficult.
Closing her eyes to calm her thoughts and let her body slow she reached for the wooden pendant at her throat and sent out as loud and clear mental plea for HELP, hoping that somewhere in the world Eadaoin could hear her. Supposedly time and space meant little in the faery realm, at least that was what Eadaoin had said. She hoped that was true. She let her mind drift and as best she could she made her peace. She hadn’t had a long life but at least she’d dealt with the beast, gotten her sister out and followed her vocation. All in all it hadn’t been a bad life. Not that she was ready to die yet. She focused on her breathing and commanded her lungs to keep working. Slowly her vision blurred and darkness pulled her under.
15
Melissa sat on the floor beside Adin. She had him on a bunny rug in the middle of the lounge room floor. Playing at swinging a small pendulum, encouraging him to reach for it. “Well done.” She lavished praise on him as he reached a little further. He was only a few months old but his hand-eye co-ordination was already astonishingly good. Doc had confirmed that the little boy was progressing rapidly, well past what was normal for a human. Adin had been the last of the humans in the town to take the retrovirus. Jnarn had wanted to be very sure that the baby wouldn’t suffer any ill effects. In the end it had gone smoothly. Jnarn by then had perfected a single dose inhaler that sent the virus straight to the lungs without the side effects of seizures that had come from the injections most of the townsfolk had suffered. Being a baby had been an advantage too. The telomeres in his genes hadn't had much time to shorten. He was healthy. There was little for the repaired DNA strand to fix, except for replacing the tiny bit of miscoding that had doomed not only humans but most life on the planet to unnaturally short lives. Melissa had worried about the repercussions of having so many life forms living longer. Wouldn't that overpopulate the planet? Simon had reassured them that balance would be restored by beings spiritually evolving to other dimensions at about the same rate as new ones were born. Longevity hadn't been the only thing affected by the genetic glitch. Apparently it had bestowed a sense of separateness that had led to the 'us and them' competition that caused most of the grief on the planet. If they could safely spread the cure to the rest of the planet not only would individuals lead happier, healthier lives ending in ascension to a higher plane but all the planet's inhabitants would be more inclined to work together to solve the massive problems caused by the Din's greed.
A tickle in her spine had her spinning her head around. They were being watched by the most radiant androgynous winged being she could have imagined. Simon had said she might start seeing other dimensional beings like ghosts and spirits, since she'd survived death and come back to tell the tale. “Um hello.”
“Hello Melissa.” The being didn't so much as move closer as shimmered out of existence in one place and then shimmered back into existence next to Melissa. It held out its hand in greeting. “My name is Eadaoin. I need your help.”
“Um, sure but why me. Simon's the one you probably want.”
“Simon and his mates are not in this dimension at the moment. They’ll have to re-descend. Simon sent me to you. In the meantime I need you to gather your town's healers and bring them to Helena. She's been bitten. A tiger snake I think you call them.
“Shit. Anya's sister? She only just arrived. Where is she?”
“Out along the old cart track that runs beside a stream. She's lying in the stream. She's unconscious and paralyzed, her lungs are failing. I've sent for her mate as well. He will want to be by her side.” A tear streamed down the beings cheek. “Hurry. I don't wish to lose her. She is a good friend.”
Melissa had little time to wonder what had happened to Simon and co. She closed her eyes and connected with Sally, Anya and Doc. Message sent she gathered Adin into her arms then held out her spare hand. “Let's go.”
Anya was just closing up the town’s Veterinary practice for the day when an image slammed into her brain. Panicking she dropped everything and teleported to the place Melissa had sent her.
16
Helena had never felt so rested, so free of the weight of regret and anger that usually weighed her down. She didn’t know how she’d gotten here, wherever here was. This version of the world was even more luminous than the one she normally saw with her fairy enhanced vision. Shouldn’t she be dying right about now? Seeing beckoning light, kindred souls, visions of her past life and all that? Maybe she was dreaming but it all seemed pretty vivid. She was sitting on a rocky embankment looking down into a wooded valley below. Reaching out she touched the rock with her hand. Yup, real! Hmm!
High over head her condor soared. She knew it was her condor. She felt its call in her heart. They were linked somehow. As she let her vision rest on the vastness of the brilliant topaz blue sky above she watched as the condor drifted in slow spirals, travelling the wind eddies downwards. It came to land not more than a few feet away from her. Cocking its head to the side it targeted its concerned inquisitive look right at her and sounded a heart tearing plaintive cry. It was worried for her.
“It’s alright my winged friend. I don’t think I’m going to die. Only the good die young.” She laughed at her own self-derision.
She’d never seen her condor so close before. The bird was huge. The white fluffy feathers around its neck made it look like it was wearing some royal cloak. Its feathers seem to flush slightly different shades from dull to bright, reflecting its mood. At this moment it was looking particularly perplexed.
“You still don’t believe me do you? Look around you. There are no angels or portals to heaven or hell opening before me. Have faith!” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself or the bird.
The bird shook its feathers for a moment then shimmered into a ball of light. Okay that had her worried. Maybe her time was up. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not when the ball of light suddenly started to take the shape of a man. The image solidified until he stood before her, in all his naked glory. All she could do was stare. Her lips parted as her jaw gaped. She swallowed the saliva that gathered in her mouth. Warmth flooded through her body. Oh my...he is beautiful!
“Really? You think so? I’ve never had a woman think that way about me before.”
Helena rolled her eyes. “Like you haven’t ever looked in a mirror. Or are you just wanting me to pamper your ego?”
The man seemed to think on that for a moment, given no outward sign of being offended. “Well I guess any pampering sounds nice. Although I have to tell you I don’t think I have this ego thing you mentioned. That’s something only you humans have.”
Helena guessed she shouldn’t be surprised that her condor-man wasn’t human. ‘If you’re not human what are you?”
“I’m a Malakim. A higher dimensional being than yourself. Some might call us angels but I’d prefer if you didn’t think of me that way. I’m no angel, I’m just Zex.”
Zex must be his name then. “Aren’t you a rather long way from home Zex. Slumming it a bit in the lower worlds?”
“Not by choice. Well I suppose originally there was a choice to come with Thex to try and broker a peace deal with the aliens t
hat were bent on invading your planet but that was a long time ago. I’m kind of stuck here actually.”
Aliens had tried to invade her planet and now he was stuck here? This could be interesting. “Tell me more.”
So he did.
Helena’s mind spun at the ramifications of what he told her. Hell, the mess on the planet all made sense now. Even where the genetics came into play. “So let me see if I’ve got this straight. The gnostics of old had it mostly right with their wild tales that the world was being controlled by evil beings who not only convinced humans to be their slaves but also infected them with a virus that changed their DNA structure just enough that they no longer perceived the truth of their situation. They and a large percentage of life on the planet became slaves to these Din who’ve gone on to build a global economic empire. Only they’re not the fallen angels the gnostics spoke of but lizard like demon spirits from the underworld. They’re dinosaur souls that can’t rest but don’t want to face countless lives working through their karma. Instead they take over weak minded human’s auras and steer their victims to do their will. And to cap it all, not only were you guys unable to stop them but you effectively got your collective butts kicked and got yourselves trapped on this plane in a substance so dense that you can’t teleport yourself out of it to reascend to your normal form.”
“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.”
“Well I have to say that all sounds a bit grim but it does explain a hell of a lot. So this genetic cure I’ve been helping Jnarn and Kit with will make a difference?”
“Oh it already has. I might be stuck in my stone, apart from the obvious astral travel as a condor bit, but I’m still in contact with Simon and the others. Some are already free.”
“I keep hearing about this Simon guy. Where does he fit in?”
“When everything went askew the Malakim high council sent one of our most evolved souls to become the guardian of your planet. The one the planet had at the time, Geb I think his name was, was ready to move on anyway. So Ma came with her son who at the time still went by the name Shimon. His name means ‘the one who hears’. He’s sort of like our prophet. He even told me all of this was going to happen before it did.”
“Hang on one minute. Are you saying that Shimon is Simon. How old is this guy?”
“Oh, about 100,000 years or so, as am I. I’m not too sure as time has passed differently for me in the stone. It wasn’t exactly the kind of existence I wanted to be aware of all the time.”
“Far out, a 100,000 years? No I guess you wouldn’t want to be conscious all that time.”
“Not until recently, the last few thousand years or so I’ve been working on this astral projection. I became well acquainted with the land and people around where I’m trapped but I started getting curious about the rest of the world. That’s when I found you.”
“My own private stalker.”
Zex looked aghast. “Hell, I never meant it to be that way. I was just drawn to you. Can you forgive me?”
Helena’s heart softened. He might be a bloke but he truly hadn’t meant any harm. “Actually it’s been quite nice. I’ve never felt truly alone since I first saw you. I started keeping an eye out for you and was disappointed when you weren’t around.”
Zex visibly relaxed and cracked a relieved smile. “I think you had the same affect on me. The not feeling alone bit I mean. Simon would come occasionally to visit me but I would never let him create the same mating bond I know he made with the commander and his second in command. We just didn’t feel about each other that way and we both knew I was saving myself for someone. Anyway, forming the bond didn’t free Thex or Arion as he’d hoped. I guess he’d known it wouldn’t but given our situation he was open to trying just about anything.”
Helena hoped what he was saying meant he wasn’t gay. That would have been a damned shame. Not that she was attracted to him, of course not. Yet her subconscious called her liar. Hadn’t the fairies called him her mate. Not that she could ever see herself forming that close a friendship with a man. Her Krav Maga instructor was the closest male friend she’d ever had and they’d managed to keep things pretty lukewarm between themselves. Yet...”This is just a dream isn’t it Zex?”
He looked perplexed again. “Yes you’re dreaming. Why its a dream and not a death vision I don’t know. That snake really did inject a deadly amount of poison into you. Is there something about you I don’t know. Are you special in some way? You’re special to me but perhaps there is something more.”
“Well I see fairies but I don’t see how that is going to save me. I’ve had a friendship with them for years but as far as I know they only gave me the ability to see them. That and they’ve taught me to relax and stay at peace with myself in the world I’ve had to live in.”
“That explains why I’ve seen you occasionally talking to beings I couldn’t see. I thought you were talking to the trees, you know like some hippy. I’d like to know more of what they’ve taught you one day but for now I have a compulsion to make the most of our dream together. I so want to do this.” He knelt down before her and leaned forward to taste her lips. “What do you say to enjoying the moment Helena, whatever the future brings?”
Considering one of the things the future might bring was death enjoying the moment sounded bloody good. “I’d say bring it on.” She rolled over until she straddled him, trapping him beneath her. Then slowly, watching voraciously as she did, she slowly unbuttoned her shirt before flinging it aside. She casually traced her finger down the delicate curly black hairs of his chest and took command. “Don’t move! I want to taste you first.”
It more than pleased her when he willingly obeyed, stilling to watch as she stood to shimmy out of the rest of her clothes. He didn’t have to speak, his look told her everything she needed to hear. He was hers, at least for this moment.
Kneeling between his legs she caught his gaze again with her own then looked away to part his legs more. She settled herself down to torment him with a nice long languorous suck.
“There she is.” Anya paused in wonder when she spied a shimmering image of a great bird guarding the unnervingly still form of sister. For one moment her gut clenched, worrying that it was some predator come to peck out the eyes of her sister’s corpse. Then she realised her sister was breathing and the bird was only a kind of mirage. “Oh my, can you see that Melissa?”
“Yeah, I’d say your sister has a guardian. I know you can’t see the fairy that’s with me but Eadaoin says that’s your sister’s mate. He won’t harm her.”
“Her mate? What the fuck?” Anya shook her head. She looked to Doc for a bit more logic. “Can you save her Doc?”
I-Wayan had inspected the wound and was just checking Helena’s vitals. He pulled the plugs of the stethoscope from his ears. “She’s holding her own. I don’t know how or why but she isn’t dying.”
Anya wobbled on her feet. “Well, hey good. Let’s get her back to town.”
Doc shook his head. “I don’t think that’s advisable. She’s in some deep state of consciousness, a trance of some kind perhaps. It may be the very thing that is keeping her alive.”
“But hypothermia, shouldn’t we get her out of the water.”
“Again, no. I think the cold is slowing the poison’s circulation through her system. Her body’s coping at the moment. If we warm her up the poison will circulate faster and overwhelm her organs.”
Anya swore and sat down on a rock on the bank, staying out of the Doc’s way, looking worriedly at her sister and glaring at the avian mirage that guarded her. “Shit, we’ll just have to wait it out.”
Sally and Kit appeared at that moment. Sally unhesitatingly entered the water, kneeling in the stream to place her hands on Helena. Her eyes glazed as she turned within, seeking the visualisation of health that she willed for Helena.
Kit came to stand beside Melissa and Anya. “She’s not dying you know.”
“Yes that’s what Doc said.”
“No I
think you misunderstand my meaning. She’s not dying because she’s not able to die. She’s simply out for the count while her body get’s rid of the poison.”
“But she’s not immortal Kit. She’d only just arrived. I haven’t had time to take her to Jnarn yet.”
“You don’t have to.”
Kit had everyone’s attention now. Even the condor was looking at her intently. “Why is that Kit?” Anya asked suspiciously.
Kit shrugged. “She drank my blood last night.”
“Kit, not that I’m cut up about it because, well hell, my sister’s not dying so I should be grateful but please tell me you didn’t mate my sister?”
Kit glared at Anya. “I don’t do women but if I did I would be honoured to have your sister as my mate. As it is she is now my sister in blood. We performed a rite of friendship.”
“But you only just met her.”
Kit shrugged her shoulders, it was obvious wasn’t it? “Some things you just know. That was the case when I met Helena and Sathi yesterday. The resonance was there. We are kindred souls.”
“And did you happen to explain to Helena you were making her immortal?”
Kit pursed her bottom lip. “Sort of. I said the ritual would make us friends, eternally.”
“And she had my approval.” Meta stepped from the trees, morphing from cat to man. “Although I have to say your wording was a little ambiguous Kit.” He glared. It was his job to enforce the Malakim rule on respecting the free will of other beings.
Kit shrugged, glaring back at Meta. “Eternal, immortal. Same diff. She would have had Jnarn’s retrovirus soon enough anyway.”
Meta sighed. “Given the circumstances and the fact that English is your second language, even if you're a master of it, I’ll let you off this time. Be more specific if you ever do anything like this again. I expect Sathi here within the month so we can explain to her, more precisely” he emphasised, “what you’ve done.”